About the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem
Established in 1986, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem (CSYV) has worked for over 30 years to educate Canadians about the Holocaust through educational and commemorative programs while sharing the facts, knowledge and universal lessons of the Shoah (Holocaust).
CSYV is a national organization with a core group of significant donors, volunteers and professional staff who are committed to the vision of advancing education and commemoration of the Holocaust. CSYV supports its mission by developing philanthropic support from individuals, families, foundations, government agencies and the business community.
Our vital educational programs focus on teaching future generations of Canadians about the Holocaust. To name a few, these include annual programs such as:
- The CSYV Holocaust Scholarship Program allows Canadian educators to attend a 3-week seminar on the Holocaust at Yad Vashem in Israel. This fully funded program provides the participants with a unique learning experience from world-renowned experts in Holocaust studies.
- The Ambassadors of Change Program, which takes place in Ottawa, helps, create a more tolerant and inclusive society by bringing together high school students and Holocaust survivors though guided group sessions about the Holocaust.
- The Twinning Program enables young teens to learn about the Holocaust as they reach Bar/Bat Mitzvah, by pairing them with a profile of a child Holocaust victim.
The Canadian Society for Yad Vashem holds a tradition of excellence in bringing together the community for the purpose of remembering and learning about the Holocaust, which is integral to increasing the knowledge of Canadians about the Shoah so that they can then proceed to make significant contributions to Canadian society.
Guided by a mission to remember the past and shape the future, CSYV offers educators diverse ways to teach the holocaust through experiential learning opportunities that are practical, innovative and socially conscious. To name a few, CSYV maintains a digital archive of Righteous Among the Nations stories and testimonies of Canadians survivors that are available to teachers and students as a learning tool. CSYV is constantly evolving and is currently developing a new Youth Holocaust Education program to facilitate learning about the Holocaust through the CSYV Holocaust Memorial Site. This program aims to integrate Holocaust learning experiences into the program of study of both Jewish and non-Jewish schools. CSYV’s Holocaust commemorative programs include ceremonies on the national and provincial levels. The National Holocaust Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa, held on behalf of the Government of Canada, is attended by hundreds of dignitaries and is open to the public. The Queen’s Park Tribute to Holocaust Survivors, in affiliation with the Premier of Ontario and the Ontario Legislature, recognizes the outstanding achievements of Ontario’s Holocaust Survivors.
In addition, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem is the only organization in Toronto to have a memorial site enabling the community at large to commemorate victims of the Holocaust and honour survivors. The CSYV Holocaust Memorial Site, located at Earl Bales Park (4169 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M3H 3P7), stands at the heart of our mission to educate Canadians about the Holocaust. With a dedicated memorial site specifically focused on the core fundamentals of Holocaust education and commemoration, CSYV is uniquely positioned to raise awareness and advance the collective knowledge about the Holocaust while helping meet the challenges of preserving the Shoah’s legacy.
CSYV’s numerous educational and commemorative programs bring Yad Vashem’s world-leading knowledge and expertise to multicultural Canadian audiences. As generations change, the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem is dedicated to advancing and expanding its important mission.
